Fruit-gatherer.



No. 638,9l2. v Patented Dec. l2, |899. M. J. cnoss.

4 FRUIT GATHERER.

(Application led Aug. 19, 1899.)

(No Model.)

ilnrrnn @Trains Parent ruins,

MARY J. cuoss, or on wirr, iowA.

FRUIT-GATHERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,912, dated December12, 1899.

Application filed August 19,1899. Serial No. 727,816. (No model.)

1'0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY J. CROSS, a citizen of the United States,residing at De Vitt, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Fruit-@ratherer, of which the following is aspecification.

My present invention relates to improvements in fruit-gatherers, and hasfor its object the production of a simple, efficient, and inexpensivedevice by means of which fruit may be gathered and safely deposited in areceptacle without bruising by persons standing below the tree andmanipulating the gatherer through the instrumentality of a long handle.

The object of the invention in its specific aspect is the provision of asimple stem clipping or cutting device surmounting a band supported by awire frame in a manner to permit of the attachment of either a wirefruit basket or holder or a flexible chute or tube, through whichVlatter the fruit may be conveyed to a point distant from the tree.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of mygatherer, showing the fruit-basket in place. Fig. 2 is a similar Viewshowing the flexible chute attached. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective Viewof the cage and its band detached. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of theknives; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of a knife-band designed foremployment in lieu of the knives, one of which is illustrated in thepreceding figure.

Referring to the numerals of reference employed to designatecorresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings, 1indicates a handle, preferably sectional and fitting at its upper end ina tapering or conical socket 2 of what I will term the cage 3 of thegatherer. This cage comprises a plurality of longitudinally-disposedWire loops e, having their upper portions 5 arranged parallel, and theirportions intermediate of the parallel portions 5 and the socket 2, towhich their lower ends are connected, are outwardly curved, as indicatedat 6, to accommodate a substantially egg-shaped fruit-receptacle 7. Thisreceptacle is preferably composed of Woven wire, and its open end issurrounded by a throat wire or bead 8, designed to be supported by hooks9, depending from the knife-collar 10, to which they are secured andwhich serves as a spacing and supporting device for the parallel upperends of the loops 4. 1 The upper extremities of the cage-loops areextended above the collar 10 to form guides 11, intermediate of whichare arranged knives 12. These knives may be constructed in a number ofways; but 1 prefer to provide them with beveled upper edges 13coextensive with the spaces between the guides,

a slotted tailpiece 11, and slotted lateral' wings 15, the several slotsin these knives or knife-plates being designed for the reception of adjlisting-screws 16, which pass through the knives from the inner side andinto screwthreaded apertures 17 in the knife-collar. In order tofacilitate the attachment of the fruitreceptacle, a loop 4 is omitted toprovide an enlarged opening 18 at one side of the cage; but in orderto-complete the series of guides projecting above the knife-collar 10*an inverted-U-shaped guide 19 is"M employed midway between the guides 1lof the two adjacent loops of the cage.

In lieu of the receptacle, which, as stated, is detachable from theknife-collar,l may prefer to employ in some instances an elongatediiexible tube or conveyer 20, designed to eX- tend into the cage throughthe opening 18 and to have its upper edge supported contiguous to thelower edge ot' the knife-collar by the hooks 9. I may also employ inlieu of,the knife-plates 12 a knife-band 21, longitudinally coextensivewith the circumference of the knife-collar and provided with a series ofknife-edges 22, defined between intermediate spaces 23 for theaccommodation of the knives, or, if desired, the knife-edge may be madecontinuous, inasmuch as the stemguides are located upon the outside ofthe collar and the knife-band is designed for employment upon the insidethereof.

In operation, the sectional handle being made up of a sui'iicient numberof sections to obtain the required length, the operator, grasping thehandle at its lower end, presents the knife-edges 13 by au upward thrustto the stems of the fruit guided to the knifeedges by the guides 11. Thestems being severed,the fruit drops through the knife-collar into thereceptacle or through the chute 20, as the case may be, and is eitherdeposited in the basket or receptacle. or is conveyed ICO through thechute to the barrel or other depository.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have devised a simple andhighly-efficient i fruit-gathering device, and while the presentembodiment of my invention appears at this time to be preferable I donot desire to be limited to the structural details defined, but reservethe right to change, modify, or vary them at Will Within the scope ofthe protection prayed.

l. In a fruit-gatherer, the combination with a support or handle, of acage having an upper open end, a knife-band carried at the upper end ofthe cage, knifeblades provided upon the band, and having their cuttingedges projecting above the latter, and a receptacle located within thecage, and detaohably suspended from the lower edge of the knife-band,substantially as set forth.

2. In afruit-gatherer, the combination with a handle or support, of acage having an upper open end, a knife-band carried at the upper end ofthe cage, knife-blades having slotted wings and tailpieees, andfastening devices passing through the band and the slots of the blade,and adj ustably securing the latter to the band, substantially as setforth.

3. In a fruit-gatherer, the combination with a socket, of a cage formedby a plurality of substantially parallel loops having their ends securedwithin the socket and provided respectively With `parallel portions attheir upper ends and with curved portions intermediate of said ends andsocket, a knife-collar carried by the parallel portions of the loops andhaving its upper edge below the extremities thereof, adjustable knivesbetween the guides formed by the extended ends of the loops, a guidelocated intermediate of the Lipper ends of two loops, below whichlastnamed guide the cage is formed in an opening, and a detachablefruit-receptacle having its walls supported by the loops of the cage,and means for detachably connecting the upper edge of the receptaclewith the knife-collar, substantially as specified.

4. In afruit-gatherer, the combination with a handle or support, of acage having an upper open end, a knife-band provided at the upper end ofthe cage, spaced guides projecting above the upper edge of theknife-band, and detachable knife-blades located between respectiveguides, having theircutting edges projecting above the knife-band, andprovided with lateral oppositely-extending wings abutting against therespective wings of adjacent blades, and maintaining the latter in theirrelative spaced positions, substantially as set forth.

5. In a fruit-gatherer, a support or handle, a cage carried by thelatter, having an upper open end and also provided with a lateralopening, a knife-band provided at the upper open end of the cage,knife-blades carried by the band, and a receptacle and a conveyer, bothof the latter having detachable and intercheangable engagements with theknifeband, and also located Within the cage, and the conveyer to extendthrough the lateral opening of the cage, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my'own lhave hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARY J. CROSS.

Witnesses:

RICHARD J. CRoUoH, ULYssns S. BUNNER.

